[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 11, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H2778-H2779]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     DROUGHT IS A NATURAL DISASTER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, as many people know, we frequently talk on 
the floor here about the state of the economy. However, it seems to me 
that much of this criticism is unfounded. We currently have 
historically low interest rates. Inflation is at 1.9 percent which, 
again, is almost at an all-time low. Economic growth is exceptional, 12 
percent in the fourth quarter. Productivity increase is the highest in 
the last 40 years. And recently we have heard that government revenues 
are increasing, which means that we may have $100 billion less deficit 
than was originally forecast.
  The majority of the criticism seems to focus on joblessness which 
currently stands at 5.6 percent of American workers and is decreasing. 
This is certainly a figure we would like to see better, like to see it 
improved. But I would like to point out, Mr. Speaker, that in the 
decade of the 1970s the average unemployment rate was 6.2 percent; 
during the 1980s, it was 7.3 percent; during the 1990s it was 5.8 
percent. So for that 30-year stretch from 1970 to 2000, we averaged 6.4 
percent unemployment. Today it is at 5.6 percent. In April we added 
280,000 payroll jobs. We have added 867,000 since January, and 1.1 
million since last August.
  Those who decry the overall strength of the economy would appear to 
be in error. My thesis is that this is the strongest economy in the 
world and is generally doing quite well. However, Mr. Speaker, one 
segment of the economy is currently very troubled. I would like to 
point to the graphic here which I think illustrates this. Currently the 
dark areas, the red, the yellow, the brown and the deep brown are areas 
of drought in the country. This would be bad enough if it was just this 
year, but this is something that has been ongoing now for 5 years. 
Throughout that area, those who are raising dry land crops have had 
practically no crop at all. The reservoirs which are used for 
irrigation are now down to 25, 30 percent. Many of them will run dry 
within a year.
  I think it is important that we look at what is happening to the farm 
economy. This is a natural disaster. We sometimes readily provide 
assistance for fires, for floods, for tornadoes or hurricanes but not 
for drought. I guess the argument is that somehow a drought comes on 
slowly so it is not a natural disaster. But as far as those

[[Page H2779]]

people living in this part of the world are concerned, it certainly is 
a natural disaster.
  One reason sometimes we are reluctant to give assistance for the 
drought is because it is assumed that there is a lot of money in the 
farm bill, that farmers are being taken care of maybe too well. I would 
like to call attention again to another graphic here which illustrates 
that the farm bill has really been functioning in a way that many 
people have not anticipated. The projected costs in 2002 were $14.3 
billion. In actuality it cost $13.2 billion. In 2003 the projected 
costs were $18.6 billion. Instead it cost $12.1 billion, a saving of 
roughly $6.5 billion less than projected. In 2004 the projection was 
$17.5 billion and now it looks like it is projected to come in at about 
$10.1 billion. Out of a $50 billion expenditure that was predicted, we 
are actually going to spend about $35 billion.
  The point is that we would hope that maybe out of that $15 billion 
shortfall that we think is certainly good for the country and good for 
the taxpayer, that maybe at least some of that, a little bit of that 
could go back to those who have really labored under this drought.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to close by urging Congress not to ignore 
the largest ongoing natural disaster facing the United States today, 
which is the extended drought, and I would also like to hope that 
Congress would not fail to appreciate those who provide the world's 
best, the safest, and the cheapest food supply of any place on this 
planet.

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